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Fix the Brooklyn Bridge for Bikes

NYC DOT recently unveiled a beautiful, welcoming gateway to the Brooklyn Bridge on its Brooklyn side and a new protected bike path on the Manhattan side. The most important part of the bridge for bicyclists — the span itself, with its small two-way bike path made even narrower by sightseers unaware of the pathway’s divide — remains untouched and very dangerous for bicyclists. We must fix the bridge and move forward on a plan to make our city’s greatest bridge safe for all.

In August 2016, NYC DOT embarked on a seven-month-long study to see what can be done to relieve congestion and improve safety for what Commissioner Trottenberg called “Times Square in the Sky.” As of this writing (October 2016), that study is seven months overdue, with no word on why there’s a delay or when it will be finished.

We are calling on DOT to

Get the study done

Determine the best course of action for making the pathway wider and safer for pedestrians and bicyclists

Work with our elected officials to get this redesign funded and completed as quickly as possible

The Brooklyn Bridge is an easier and more convenient means of commuting for many residents of two boroughs than other nearby East River crossings. Many bicyclists, however, have almost been hurt on the narrow pathway or know someone who has been injured on the ride — and avoid this key link in our biking network. We must move forward quickly to make this symbol of our borough and our city safe for everyone.

The Brooklyn Bridge is a vital link between two boroughs, a convenient means of commuting for residents of many neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Yet traveling by bike on its narrow pedestrian pathway remains hazardous for both cyclists and the many tourists who come to enjoy this historic landmark. We must move forward on a plan to make our city’s greatest bridge safe for everyone.